Sam’s Place

The first human in space was the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who made one orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961, on a flight that lasted 108 minutes. 

Throughout time humans have ventured out of their comfort zone to achieve great, noble, extraordinary & transformative work. Creatively developing new ways to explore, discover and synchronize the world with our ingenuity. 

Providing care for those who need a bit more help in life is how Jess and myself want to spend our energy and resources.

If we surrender to God’s will, what would He have us do? I was reading this morning in one of my favorite books, Ecclesiastes. It says (paraphrased) after you die, you are forgotten in time by everyone you have ever known, except for God. So, in light of this truth, should we not strive to do those things that are most precious to our LORD?

In the year 1885 a statue was starting to be sculpted in France, America was also known for something that inspired this monumental project. Perhaps best explained with an excerpt from a sonnet written for a fundraising event in support of the statue project. See if you recognize this snippet: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Luke 10 talks about a man who was robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. Some excellent community members all avoided this man and made excuses to not help, but a foreigner of the land who was despised as an outsider came along and helped this man and took care of him.

Isaiah 1:17 Directs us about how we should change for the better: “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

2 Thessalonians 3:13 Gives us direction and encouragement to not quit: “But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good.”

1 John 3:17 Tells us to help those in need out of our prosperity, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

Orphans, Widows, Samaritans, Tax Collectors, Poor and Needy. 

It is out of this desire to serve that Jess and I have jumped in with both feet and we bought something, something huge, we bought a hospital. Yes, you read that correctly, we bought a hospital.

Introducing “Sam’s Place”

Why “Sam’s Place”? As you may already know, we lost our son, Sam, to an accidental drug overdose in 2022. But his story is more than addiction, much more. Sam was loving, kind and selfless. Sam had a passion for those people in his life that needed a bit more help. Selflessness seemed to just naturally flow from Sam like a great river that waters and nourishes the valley it flows into, always providing, always showing kindness, always listening.

The stories we could tell of Sam would fill this blog for years, but the point I am trying to convey is that Sam was an inspiration and to this day his legacy continues as the name “Sams Place” will now be forever entered into the record books as a reference to caring for the needy. Understanding Sam means you understand gentleness, kindness and love. Sam just had a way of being there for all who “don’t exactly fit”, those that “need a little extra help”. The verse carved on the statue of liberty describes Sam, he lived this verse but also lived for this verse:

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

So here we are, taking the “Old Bigfork Hospital” into the next chapter. A brief history:

1938 construction started for the first rural hospital in North Itasca, 8 beds total.

1953 4 more beds were added with the new addition totaling 12.

1965 the hospital was retired and started a new use as a retirement home.

Over the years the building morphed into the riverside residence and started serving more folks with special needs.

As time went on, the building became more outdated and needed more updates. 

Normally Alex would have been the one to stop for this type of service call, but he was busy, so I stopped to see what we could do. 2 of the three boilers failed, causing the building to heat only in one small section. Electric space heaters littered the building like tiny islands of heat in the arctic wasteland. I just knew this was calling for Jess and me to take action. We both knew from that very first day, this is a divine appointment.  

We realized early, this transformation won’t happen overnight, we need all new windows, exterior doors, roof work, updated electrical panels (still 1938 fuses), heating systems (we hope to add AC in the future) … ALL NEW INTERIOR, a garden out front, a parking lot in back…. The list is endless, and we know it’s a big, long project. And as if that were not enough, my “pipe dream”, a small breakfast cafe open to the public, known for the best cinnamon rolls north of MacGregor!

Jess and I have drafted mission & vision statements we would like to share with you:

Sam’s Place Mission statement: 

Empowering extraordinary opportunities. Highlighting intrinsic human value. Allying the local community. Magnifying individual development, productivity, dignity and independence for our residents.

Sam’s Place Vision Statement:

At Sam’s Place, our vision is to create a clean, organized, and secure living environment for all our residents. We emphasize community involvement, recognizing that all humans are made in the image of the Creator and all people are infinitely valuable in our world. This fundamental belief places community at the heart of our operations.

Our approach to mealtimes extends beyond nourishment; it is about fostering community connections. Whether through a voucher system with local eateries or special meals during community events, we aim to enrich residents’ lives through social interaction. Our aspiration includes launching a community-accessible breakfast cafe within our facility, enhancing both resident and community engagement.

We are committed to personal development, offering our residents opportunities to learn and grow through activities like card and board games, karaoke, book clubs, and crafting workshops. Our staff provides essential guidance in daily life skills, ensuring that every resident receives support tailored to their needs.

Safety is paramount. We implement robust security measures, including controlled access and privacy fencing, particularly around key communal areas like our community garden, which boasts a stunning river view.

Ultimately, our goal is to deliver unparalleled care, upholding the dignity, purpose, and meaning of life for each resident. At Sam’s Place, every individual is valued and treated with the utmost respect, embodying our core belief in the profound worth of every person.

We have plenty to do in this project, but when we are done, our hope is to provide a home for between 16-20 people, where our vision statement can thrive. We invite your support and assistance on this fantastic journey, whatever your level of support, we strongly covet your prayers. 

The Team at “Sam’s Place” thank you in advance for all you do.

Matthew 25:35-40 – “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Now is the time for action! Join us today on this worthwhile journey, developing this dream even further than we had imagined. Remember, you are also infinitely valuable in our world.

Jess and Charlie

Livinghazzardously